About Us

Emanuel (Manny) J. Friedman

Mr. Friedman, a securities industry professional with more than 40 years of capital markets and asset management experience, co-founded EJF Capital LLC in September 2005. EJF Capital is an investment management firm based in Arlington, Virginia.

He is also a founder and the former Co-Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer of Friedman, Billings, Ramsey Group, Inc., now known as Arlington Asset Investment Corp. and FBR Capital Markets (“FBR”). Throughout the 1990s, Mr. Friedman was active in building out FBR’s alternative asset management platform. In April 1998, Mr. Friedman was awarded the CEO of the Year Award by George Washington University.

Mr. Friedman began his career in 1973 at Legg Mason Wood Walker, Inc. He received his BA in Education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his JD from Georgetown University.

Mr. Friedman has been a committed philanthropist for many years. He and his wife, Kindy French, established Emanuel J. Friedman Philanthropies (EJF/P) to serve as the umbrella for their charitable giving in their core areas of interest, through personal giving and from their family foundations.

Kindy French

Kindy French has been a resident of Washington, DC for most of her life and a triathlete for more than 15 years. Her charitable giving has focused on veterinary science, programs which help people who are helping animals, and the preservation and utilization of parks and outdoor spaces. In partnership with other philanthropists, including her husband, Manny Friedman, Kindy also supports projects and initiatives which help to save endangered species and fight wildlife trafficking.

Kindy is President of the Sheridan-Kalorama Historical Association, and a member of the board of Friends of Mitchell Park.

Simone Friedman

Simone Friedman serves as the Head of Philanthropy and Impact Investment for EJF Philanthropies. Based in Washington, D.C., she regularly speaks at conferences about her use of both grants and impact investments to support higher-welfare animal agriculture, promote plant-based proteins, and improve the kosher meat industry.

Prior to her involvement with EJF Philanthropies, Simone founded and later sold Metrics Group, an analytics company that used proprietary software to identify trends in patenting. Simone graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from the George Washington University, which she attended on an academic honor scholarship, and she holds a Master’s of Urban and Environmental Planning degree, with a concentration in Policy Analysis, from the University of Virginia.